At the 2016-2017 Master of Arts in Teaching Recognition Ceremony, Zane Pang was awarded a Mary Roosevelt Honor Scholarship in Teaching and Learning for excellence in academics, demonstrated leadership skills, and dedication to improving the lives and educational opportunities of students. Zane is pursuing his MAT with a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Science. Below, he shares his thoughts about his educational journey and his chosen career.

October 2016

I am a native of Irvine, California. I have attended Irvine public schools from K-12 and graduated from Northwood High School in 2012. It was because of the teachers that I had over the years that I fell in love with education and specifically with history. After graduating from Northwood, I attended UC Davis from 2012 to 2016. I double majored in history and political science and received a minor in education.

Ultimately, I chose UCI because of its strong education program along with its proximity to the community that I grew up in. I have long ties with Southern California and felt that my education at UCI gave me the best chance to give back to the community that gave so much for me.

I believe that the United States needs to have a strong education system in order to stay competitive in a more interconnected and diverse world. As someone who wants to become a history teacher, I believe that history is a central component of developing strong critical thinking and analytical skills.

I hope to be a teacher that will vigorously advocate for students and help students develop critical thinking skills. But what is just as important for me is to teach students how to use those skills to benefit not just themselves, but also their community and the world. The United States and the world are going to have tough times ahead. That is why educators are important in creating the next generation of thinkers and community leaders to face those challenges.